Need for new SMAC (Social-mobile-analytic-cloud) based education for Thai youth to participate in digital economy and sustainable development

Abstract

Educators and employers in most countries are getting uneasy on many fronts because of hurdles created by old-economy based academic curricula and traditional mode of face-to-face (F2F) teaching which dominated education for the last two centuries. In this new century, innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), increased expansion of 3G/4G networks and exponential growth in the use of portable and smart devices is forcing many countries to upgrade their educational system with a specific focus on SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) to remain relevant. In USA, Europe, Australia and several other countries in Asia, educational institutions are rapidly integrating SMAC into their academic programs and curricula. The speed of innovations leading to synergistic blending of Internet, 3G/4G networks, digital content and SMAC is quite overwhelming. It is becoming increasing clear that this new combination is necessary for the growth of digital economy and sustainable development in Thailand. New academic programs and curricula based on a increased emphasis on SMAC will help new graduates to successfully compete in new digital economy and enhance strategic sustainable development not only in Thailand but also elsewhere in the AEC.